...
Not yet.
The empress was reviewing the unfinished memorials in the imperial study. When she turned over the memorials of Liu Wanshan, the new Minister of Household Affairs, anger and worry filled her brows.
The content of the memorial is extremely simple, that is, Liu Wanshan reorganized the various accounts of the Ministry of Revenue over the years and found that the treasury was empty and the money was missing.
We have to find a way to replenish the national treasury... The empress looked thoughtful. Daxia has been hit by disasters one after another this year, and there have been frequent border wars. A huge amount of money has been spent on these two things alone. Where can we fill the empty treasury? ?
From the hands of the people? Increase taxes?
The empress shook her head. She could not do such harm to the people.
She kept thinking in her mind, and decided to use a fundraising method to ask hundreds of officials to raise donations or stop paying salaries to hundreds of officials.
So she issued an edict and asked several important officials to come to the imperial study for discussion.
...
At the beginning of Youshi.
Yangxin Hall, the emperor's bedroom and side hall.
Zhao Wujiang slowly adjusted his breathing. After digestion, he still had more than half of his true energy left in his body, but his cultivation level had probably reached the fifth level.
He punched randomly, with great momentum.
The remaining true energy must be refined slowly... Zhao Wujiang stood up, put on his shoes and walked out.
The sky was bright and he stretched, walked into the main hall, opened the door and entered the empress's chamber.
He found that Xuanyuan Jing was not in the house, and he was suspicious, could he be taking a shower again?
Is she going to drown? I have to save her... Zhao Wujiang rubbed his fingers and cautiously approached the back room. He leaned over and listened to the sound, but he didn't hear any sound.
"What are you doing?" came the empress's voice. Her face was gloomy and she walked slowly into the room.
Zhao Wujiang coughed dryly and turned around. Feeling the empress' displeasure, he asked:
"Did you go to the imperial study room?"
"Yeah." The empress hummed softly:
"Go and discuss some important matters."
After saying that, she put her forehead on her forehead and kept rubbing her eyebrows, trying to relieve her worries.
"What are you worried about?" Zhao Wujiang sat next to the empress.
The empress sighed:
"Liu Wanshan found out that there was something wrong with the accounts of the Ministry of Revenue, and now the state treasury is empty."
"This year, the weather, time, and people are all wrong, and the treasury is empty, which is normal." Zhao Wujiang comforted him and said calmly:
"Let the officials raise money, they will all be rich anyway."
He knows that all shortcomings stem from productivity failing to keep up with development, but solving this problem cannot be accomplished overnight and requires long-term planning.
The top priority is to fill the state coffers.
"I wanted to give the order, but all the old ministers stopped me." The empress' face became increasingly gloomy and her mind was tired. She glanced at the worried Zhao Wujiang and sighed:
"You don't have to think too much about this matter. If they don't agree to raise money, I will suspend the payment of salary and relieve the urgent needs of the national treasury for the war.
Now that the northern grassland barbarians are approaching, the conflict between the southern border and the southern Miao barbarians is becoming more and more intensified. War is imminent, and everything is focused on war. I think the ministers will understand. "
"You stopped the salary. Although the ministers dare not say anything, they will inevitably feel uncomfortable. How can you ask them to serve Daxia wholeheartedly?" Zhao Wujiang said seriously.
The empress' eyes trembled, her heart filled with depression, and she blurted out:
"Not many of them care about Daxia in the first place! Not many of them help me wholeheartedly in governing Daxia!"
Zhao Wujiang knew that the reason why the empress lost her composure was that King Xiaoyao and the current court situation put too much pressure on her.
"But there are still some veterans who care about Daxia, right? Such as Liu Zhe, such as Dugu Yihe, such as the Minister of Dali Temple and others..." Zhao Wujiang gently massaged the empress's temples and said gently and comfortingly:
"As for assisting you wholeheartedly...
Do I count? "
"You..." The empress looked soothing and her eyes trembled.
Zhao Wujiang smiled and said:
"Pay the money, I'll figure it out..."
"What can you do?" the empress sighed:
"Taking their money is like taking their lives, and everyone is trying to shirk the blame."
"What if I had?"
"you have not!"
"Then let's make a bet." Zhao Wujiang smiled faintly.
The empress was suspicious: "What kind of bet?"
Zhao Wujiang leaned forward slightly and whispered in the empress's ear:
"If I ask them to take out the money, how about you stop using your hands and use your mouth?
If I can't do it, I'll let you do it! "
After hearing this, the empress knew what Zhao Wujiang meant, and her pretty face immediately turned pink. She hummed softly:
"I don't agree."
She blushed when she thought about that kind of thing. Although she had seen Moon Worshiping Princess, Dugu Mingyue and others do it, it was simply goosebumps for her to do it herself.
"You don't dare, right?" Zhao Wujiang smiled evilly:
"Or do you not want to fill the treasury?"
The empress opened her lips, hesitated several times, and finally said harshly:
"You simply can't do it!"
"What if I do it?" Zhao Wujiang raised his eyebrows.
The empress pursed her red lips, crossed her arms over her chest, and gritted her teeth:
"If you can do it, what's the point of speaking...?
But you can't do it! "
Zhao Wujiang snapped his fingers:
"What you said, wait and see!"
"Humph!" the empress snorted:
“I can’t do this, and you can’t even do it!
Just wait and let me handle it! "
